Ashley Fiolek and Justin Barcia on the Podium in 2012 Hangtown Season Opener

Round one of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and Women’s Motocross Championship kicked off this weekend at the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic held in Sacramento, CA. Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Ashley Fiolek and GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia both had impressive starts to the season, placing second overall aboard their Honda CRF250Rs.

The Race

Tommy Hahn joined the Team Honda Muscle Milk squad, making his debut this weekend aboard a factory-prepared CRF450R. After placing a solid seventh in qualifying, Hahn rode his way to an eighth-place finish in moto one. After getting another good start in moto two, Hahn went down hard, causing him to fall to the back of the pack. He earned a respectable 13th overall. “I am really happy to have this first race out of the way, and overall am pleased with the results,” said Hahn. “Apart from going down in the second moto, I felt good and was having fun. I am looking forward to building off this and improving my results throughout the rest of the season.”

In moto one, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton grabbed a mid-pack start and rode a consistent race until going down on the last lap, sending him back to 24th. Still recovering from his crash in the first moto, Brayton rode his way to a 16th-place finish in moto two.

In the 250 class, Justin Barcia grabbed the holeshot in both motos, racing his GEICO Honda CRF250R to third in moto one and securing second in moto two for a second overall. “As much as I want to win, being on the podium is a great way to start the season,” stated Barcia. Teammate Eli Tomac put together a solid ride in moto one, finishing in fourth. Unfortunately, Tomac went down in the first turn of moto two and was forced to charge his way through the pack. He rode a notable race, making his way up to 10th and clinching fifth overall. GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn rounded out the top 10 with a seventh in moto one and 13th in moto two.

In the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMA), Team Honda Muscle Milk riders had an exciting start to the season. Ashley Fiolek grabbed the holeshot in moto one and rode an inspired race all the way to the finish, nailing down the win. She got another great start in moto two but went down, sending her to the back of the pack. She charged her way through the field, finishing in fifth place for second overall. Sayaka Kaneshiro, the newest addition to the team, had the best finish of her WMA career, going 5-4 for fifth overall. Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda’s Tarah Gieger went 3-3 for third overall.